Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-12
THE PLANTING OF CORN.
ACCESSIBILITY of Regulating the Quantity o
Seed to the Soils Strength.

ACCESSIBILITY of Reg uIating the Quantity Of
Seed to the Soils Strength.
Since the time when the early set
tiers of Western New York planted
their corn with an axe by chopping
into the mold of the logging field and
dropping the seed in the cleft, there has
been a steady improvement in the
method of preparing the soil and put
ting in the seed. When the heavy
blacksmith-made hoe was supplanted
by the horse -cultivator, rows, which
before were unthought of, became a
necessity. More than enough is writ
ten about preparation of land for corn.
but there is not sufficient understand
ing yet about the needs of the plant
after it begins to grow. The quantity
of seed for a given surface, to CORE
spond to the strength of the
soil, is still an undetermined fac
tor. Whether too much seed be plant
ed or the rows too close together the
result is the same-there will always
be fodder at the expense of grain.
Seed must be regulated to strength OF
soil. This often the last thing consid-
sidered, is of vital Importance. There
are the best of reasons for saying that
8 feet inches is standard for width
of corn rows. The acre is the unit OF
measurement in farming. All the
newer States are accurately surveyed
into squares with right angles. Counties
are divided into townships, townships
into sections and sections into fourths
which makes the ideal farms of the
country. If we split these quarter
sections in equal halves we have 80.
acre farms, twice as long as they are
wide. This divided into equal squares
make 40 acres, which being again sub
divided makes the ideal field-40 rods
wide and so rods long. Now if this
field is to be planted to corn it is very
desirable to the farmer who lays out
his plans with some degree of regular
ity to so subdivide each acre into rows
that they may be uniform and at such
distance apart as best to facilitate after
cultivation. Somewhere between 81
and Al feet will be chosen.
Now feet s inches apart for the
rows give exactly Is rows to the acre
across the field from side to side, and
rows to the acre the long way of the
field. In the after cultivation of the
crop, the modern two-horse cultivators
will work to the center of the row,
while at 4 feet or wider, there will
always be a strip in the center that
the cultivator-teeth will not disturb.
If the corn be cut up hills square,
each acre will have just 40 shocks; by
husking four shocks in different parts
of the field the product will be one
tenth the yield of an acre. Thus ac-
curacy can be determined, which, to
the thinking farmer is worth some.
thing. The value of this distance is
perceived after the crop is gathered
in, and when the field is to be plowed
again. Every plowman knows how
difficult it is to turn cornstubble under
WELL unless the last furrow before
turning the hill covers up close to the
outside of it. Rows 4 feet apart re-
quire three 16-inch burrows to compass
the space. This is too wide for or
binary plows; inches less
space permits the three fur
rows to turn the soil COM
pletely. The above practice on my
own farm for several years is so salts
factory that / know it will be adopted
by others after years trial. The
distance named gives 518 hills to the
acre more than at feet, and requires
less seed to the hill. I aim to know
that my seed will terminate before
planting. and the rule is to plant just
two kernels to the hill, and never less.
If three are dropped occasionally, do
not require one to be picked out. but I
would as soon the accident of one kerr
mel to the hill be made as to have four
planted. Too large growth of stalk
is fatal to best result in the product of
grain. As will be inferred, I am
"slow" enough still to prefer the hoe
to a power planter, as plant only
about twenty acres a year. have
never seen planter yet that could
count. mark accurately both ways,
and can usually plant twenty acres in
two days with three hands. I feel
pretty well satisfied with myself when
field is we'll planted, trusting to
thorough cultivation to complete job
we'll begun.-A. C. Gliddem, in N. =.
Tribune.